XFX 9800GX2 Review

Introduction:

What can two graphics processing units in one card do for you? First off, there is the ability to run SLI (Scalable Link Interface) using just one 16x PCI-E slot on your motherboard. Great if you only have one slot or if you have all the rest of the expansion slots filled up and just can't stand to get rid of one device to gain additional graphics performance. What about the opposite side of the fence where you want to use that X-Fi sound card instead of the onboard sound, but just don't have the available slots open because your graphics cards use dual slot cooling solutions. What do you do?

The XFX 9800GX2 can help in all of these situations. It features Dual DVI, SlI capability, HDMI output with HDMI certification for Hi-Definition gaming, 600MHz core clock speed, one gigabyte of 1000MHz (2000) GDDR3 memory and so much more. Will one card be able to handle the load imposed on a graphics card by many of today's hottest Direct X 10 games or is it just a pipe dream gone terribly wrong? Let's find out.

Closer Look:

The XFX 9800GX2 comes in a sinister looking black box. The Borg-like 9 denotes that something special is inside the package. The front highlights some of the attributes of the GX2. The rear panel gives a full size view of the card that is hidden inside, as well as giving information about the Hi-Definition gaming capabilities that the 9800GX2 possesses.

The 9800GX2 is housed inside the inner container colored in the traditional XFX green. Popping open the box, the documentation for the 9800GX2 is front and center. Under this sits a foam block that houses the video card. The balance of the bundle of accessories are in a side cardboard compartment.

The bundled accessories for the XFX 9800GX2 include a quick start guide, a tip and troubleshooting guide, a warning flyer reminding the user about the 8-pin and 6-pin power needs, the driver disk, a "Do Not Disturb" Tag, a full version of Company of Hereos including the DX10 patch, a dual 4-pin molex to 6-pin PCI-E adapter, two DVI to D-Sub adapters and an HDMI sound cable to connect to the motherboard. At last, someone puts the cable in the box!